Always All Ways
by Doctor Addison Montgomery
Summary: SP. Gina Gold is back to wish Sam farewell, and to leave some valuable advice. Contains some spoilers for Sam's last episode. Definitely Huxon. Oneshot. Reviews are love!


Always All Ways

_Summary: SP. Gina Gold is back to wish Sam farewell, and to leave some valuable advice. Contains some spoilers for Sam's last episode. Definitely Huxon_.

_My TB muse is definitely back! Please review! Xx_

* * *

"Couldn't bear it at the nick now that I'm gone?" Gina asked, fondly. Taking her glass of whiskey and her change from the barman. The evening was wearing on and many of Sam's well-wishers had already left the bar, including her daughter who had gone back to relieve Jared's babysitter. Sam had been surprised to see Gina at the leaving 'do, assuming that Smithy must have called their old friend to tell her the news.

"Something like that." Sam replied with a smile, sipping on her newly refilled white wine spritzer. "I understand why you left now," She said softly, trying not to cry again. "It was just time."

Gina nodded her agreement and took a small sip of whiskey, savouring the taste as it slipped down her throat.

"Did I see Abi just now?" Gina asked, having not seen Sam's daughter in a good few years.

Sam smiled proudly. "Yes you did. She went back home to look after Jared. We're going to spend the weekend together before I start my new job on Monday."

"She's really grown up." Gina said, not one to be overly generous with compliments but she had seen what Abi had been like as a teenager and the change she saw now was immense. Even if Jared was the son of Hugh Wallis, having a baby had helped Abi to mature and grow as a person. Sam couldn't be more proud of her daughter. "You did a good job with her, Sam."

Sam laughed. "Don't go soft on me now Gina, you'll start me off again!" They both knew that she appreciated the compliment.

"So, leaving Sun Hill means a new beginning..." Gina said, knowing what she was trying to say, but wanting Sam to help her get there.

"It does. I've enjoyed my time at Sun Hill, but it was definitely time to try something different." Sam said, missing Gina's point. "Anyway, I've been talking about myself all day and I'd much rather hear what's going on with you."

Gina took a longer draw of whiskey before she replied. "Adam and I have moved in together." She said, looking at Sam to gauge her reaction. She was surprised, but pleasantly so, when Sam smiled broadly.

"I'm glad." She grinned. "I'm happy for you, I always thought you two should have stayed together. And after what happened to his family..." She tailed off sadly. She hadn't been close to the old Superintendent but what had happened to him still saddened her. "He deserves to be happy," She said after pausing for a moment. "You both do."

"Thanks Sam," Gina replied, genuinely touched. Her previous attempt at subtletly had apparently been too good so she decided to stop beating about the bush. "And what about you and Phil? Have you worked it out yet?" Gina asked, going in for the kill.

Sam shook her head, trying to remember the last time they had spoke on the phone, let alone met face to face. "We were close for a while after he left Sun Hill, but we've drifted since."

"You know," Gina said. "The two of you always reminded me or Adam and myself. Never in the right place at the right time, other people getting involved, hearts getting broken...Need I go on?"

Sam shook her head. "You've made your point. I suppose I still have doubts about him; about us. Maybe if I was ten or fifteen years younger but I'm too old to risk having my heart broken."

Gina looked at her disapprovingly. "Oh come on Sam, it's Phil we're talking about. Yes, he was a player and a lothario in his day, but you've witnessed him change and you must know that he did it for you."

Sam sighed, wishing now that she's ordered a stronger drink. "I know all that is true Gina, I'm just afraid."

"That's not the Samantha Nixon I know. Hell, Sam, you're walking away from a job you've lived and breathed for seven years to start something completely different but you can't be with the man we both know you love."

Sam was silent for a moment. "Maybe I'm not afraid of him hurting me," She said quietly. "Maybe I'm more worried about hurting him." She looked Gina in the eye. "What if he wants more kids? I can't offer him that."

Gina smiled knowingly. "I think he loves you more than enough to get over that."

Sam opened her mouth to speak but paused before the words actually came out. "You're not...you and Phil aren't in contact are you?" Gina's face was the picture of perfect innocence, except for her eyes. "You are!" She exclaimed a little too loudly.

Gina smiled a little coyly, something Sam hadn't seen before. "Leaving Sun Hill isn't as easy as you think when you first quit," She admitted. "You need a support network, and ironically enough, Phil and I have helped each other out quite a bit."

"You do surprise me," Sam grinned. "I can't imagine that; the two of you getting together for a curry, or a coffee." She laughed. "What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall..."

"You should talk to him," Gina said, completely serious now. "He'd be glad to hear from you too."

"Is that just your opinion," Sam asked. "Or do you know that for a fact."

Gina didn't hesitate before she replied. "Both."

* * *

Sam spent a relaxing weekend with her daughter, playing with Jared and getting Sun Hill out of her system. After seeing Abi back on the train home late on Sunday afternoon, she decided to drive over to Phil's house. He had moved house after leaving Sun Hill to a small neighbourhood closer to his new office. She had visited a few times, but not recently.

He answered the door as soon as she rang the doorbell, almost as if he knew she was coming, although there was no way he could have known.

"Hey," Phil smiled, giving her a brief hug. "Not that it isn't great to see you, but why are you here?"

"I've resigned from Sun Hill." Sam said without preamble. She had felt good about her decision and still knew it was the right one, but she was feeling a little unsure of herself now. "I start my new job tomorrow."

"Come on in." Phil said, pushing the door open and welcoming her inside. The doorstep was not the right place to have this conversation.

"You already know this don't you?" Sam said, her tone bordering on being accusatory as she found her own way into his sitting room.

Phil looked sheepish. "I've had Gina _and_ Jo on the phone since Thursday night." He admitted. "I was going to call you, but things have been a bit strained recently. I thought you'd come around in your own time, and I was right."

"Did you have any doubts about leaving Sun Hill?" Sam asked, sinking into the worn but comfortable couch.

"Of course." Phil said, sitting down beside her, wondering if he should tell her that the majority of his doubts came from the thought of leaving her behind. "If you stay in one place for too long, you get comfortable and it's hard to leave."

Sam nodded. "You can say that again. Was it the right decision for you?"

"Definitely," Phil said straightaway. "But it doesn't mean I don't have regrets, I didn't think it would mean losing your friendship."

Sam was shocked. "You haven't lost it; haven't lost me."

"Well no, but things aren't like they were, are they?" Sam shook her head. "I'd like to change that."

"I would too." She said looking up at him.

He left the room for a second, returning with two glasses and a bottle of wine. He poured some into both glasses, offering one to Sam. She reached for it, clinking it against Phil's.

"To new beginnings." Phil said, gazing lovingly at Sam so relieved to find that things between them were not as broken as he had thought.

"New beginnings." Sam replied, meeting his gaze. She was no longer afraid of the decisions she had made, she was ready to embrace the change.

_Hope you liked! Xx_


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